Daijiworld Media Network - Washington

Washington, Jul 21: The US House Committee on Foreign Affairs has strongly endorsed the recent move by the US State Department to designate The Resistance Front (TRF) as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), calling for accountability over the group’s involvement in heinous attacks, including the Pahalgam massacre.

In a post on its official handle on X, the committee asserted:

“President Trump calls it like it is. The Resistance Front is a foreign terrorist organization and deserves the designation. When you butcher civilians, you don’t get a pass—you get JUSTICE.”

This reaction comes in the wake of the US State Department’s official classification of TRF — a front group for Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) — as both an FTO and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). The decision follows TRF’s claim of responsibility for the April 22 terror strike in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir, which left 26 civilians, mostly tourists, dead in one of the most brutal attacks on Indian soil since the 2008 Mumbai carnage.

In a formal announcement, the State Department declared:

“The Department of State is adding The Resistance Front (TRF) as a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). TRF, a Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) front and proxy, claimed responsibility for the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam attack, which killed 26 civilians. This was the deadliest attack on civilians in India since the 2008 Mumbai attacks conducted by LeT.”

The statement further noted that TRF has carried out multiple attacks on Indian security forces in recent years, including several in 2024.

The Trump Administration’s firm stance was underscored in the department’s language, emphasizing its global counterterrorism objectives:

“These actions taken by the Department of State demonstrate the Trump Administration’s commitment to protecting our national security interests, countering terrorism, and enforcing President Trump’s call for justice for the Pahalgam attack.”

The designation of TRF comes at a time of growing global scrutiny of Pakistan’s role in fostering terror outfits. India has repeatedly charged Islamabad with offering safe haven and logistical support to Lashkar-e-Taiba and its affiliates, including TRF, which was formed in 2019 as a strategic cover to deflect international pressure.

With this designation, TRF faces increased sanctions, funding restrictions, and travel bans, further isolating the group on the international stage. The move is being seen in diplomatic circles as a significant step in strengthening global counterterrorism cooperation and reinforcing India’s longstanding concerns about cross-border terrorism.